Mark CarrollHead Cross Country CoachFirst Season

The MARK CARROLL FileFull Name: Denis Mark CarrollBirthdate: January 15, 1972Born: Cork, IrelandHometown: Providence, Rhode IslandAlma Mater: Providence College, 1995Relationship Status: Married to the former Amy Rudolph

Cross Country Information Head Coach Mark CarrollYear at Auburn FirstAlma Mater Providence, 1995Office Phone (334) 944-9799Email dmc0013@auburn.edu

Media Relations Cross Country Contact Scott KempsKemps’ Office Phone (334) 844-9900Kemps’ Cell Phone (201) 248-0816Kemps’ Email SMK0008@auburn.edu Media Relations Fax (334) 844-9807Media Relations Address Athletic Complex 392 S. Donahue Dr. Auburn, AL 36849Website www.AuburnTigers.com

Auburn University Location Auburn, Ala.Nickname TigersColors Burnt Orange and Navy Blue (PMS 172, 289)Enrollment 24,137Conference SoutheasternPresident Dr. Jay GogueAthletics Director Jay JacobsSenior Women’s Administrator Meredith JenkinsSr. Assoc. AD/Team Support Mark Richard

2008 Review 2008 SEC Finish Men 2nd Women 5th2008 South Regional Finish Men 2nd Women 5th2008 NCAA Qualifiers Returning/Lost Men 3/1 Women 1/0Letterwinners Returning/Lost Men 7/3 Women 6/1Newcomers Men 1 Women 2

2008 ResultsDate Event Time/Result (M;W)

Sept. 5 at Powerade Invitational 1st; 2nd (Chattanooga, Tenn.)

Sept. 27 at Roy Griak Invitational 5th; DNR (Falcon Heights, Minn.)

Oct. 4 TIGER INVITATIONAL 1st; 6th (Auburn, Ala.)

Oct. 18 at Pre-Nationals 4th; 18th (Terre Haute, Ind.)

Nov. 3 at SEC Championship 2nd; 5th (Starkville, Miss.)

Nov. 15 at NCAA South Regional 2nd; 5th (Maryville, Tenn.)

Nov. 24 at NCAA Championships 5th; NTS (Terre Haute, Ind.)

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Considered one of Ireland’s greatest all-time athletes, first-year Head Coach Mark Carroll joined the Auburn track and field, and cross country program on August 7,

Carroll has most recently held the post of US Athlete Manager for Athletics Ireland, where he guided a trio of top Irish runners in Gareth Turnbull, Mark Christie and Liam Reale, while also training several other Irish runners stateside.

Throughout his world-class career, Carroll has competed in a variety of events, but has spe-cialized mainly in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters. As a 19-year old, he earned the first major title of his career, capturing the 1991 European Junior Title in the 5K in Thessalonika, Greece.

Nine years later in 2000, he earned the title of European Indoor Champion in the 3K. In Budapest in 1998, he took third in the European Track & Field Championships to earn a bronze medal. In 1999, the Cork, Ireland, native was ranked No.1 in the world indoor mile rank-ing list with a time of 3:57.62.

Carroll is a four-time IAAF World Track and Field member, and holds the Irish-national record in the 3K (7:30:36), which was set in 1999, as well as the 5K set in 1998 with a time of 13:03:93. He also held the national record of 27:46:42 in the 10K that was set in 2000, a record that has since been broken.

He has participated in several marathons in the later stages of his career, highlighted by a sixth-place finish in the 2002 New York Marathon. His time of 2:10.54 sits only 61 second off of the Irish national record of 2:09.17.

Carroll missed the 1996 Atlanta Olympics due to injury, but participated in the 2000 Olympics in the 5K in Sydney, Australia, missing out on the final heat by one place. Four years later he competed in the 2004 Athens games, also in the 5K.

During his collegiate days at Providence College, the Corkman earned six All-American honors as well as seven Big East titles (cross country, 1,000 meters, 1,500 meters, 3,000 meters (twice), distance medley relay, and 4 x 800 meters). His crowning achievement as a Friar came at the 1995 NCAA Indoor Championships, as he won an NCAA Championship in the 5,000 meters.

Carroll holds a Coaching Ireland level two coaching certificate that he acquired in 2008.

Carroll married the former Amy Rudolph in October of 2005. Rudolph, an accom-plished runner in her own right, is a two-time Olympian, as well as a U.S. Indoor Champion in the 3,000 meters.

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2008 Season in Review The 2008 campaign was truly a special one for the Auburn cross country team, as the men earned a program-best three All-American nods, while matching the program’s best-ever finish at the NCAA Championships with a fifth-place finish. No to be outdone, the women earned their first All-American honor since the 2005 season, and improved their performances from the previous season with fifth-place finishes at both the SEC Championships as well as the NCAA Southeast Regionals. The men were led by the trio of All-American honors, paced by freshman Girma Mecheso’s 16th-place showing at the NCAA Championships, the highest finish for an Auburn harrier since 1984. Joining Mecheso as All-Americans on the men’s side were juniors Elkanah Kibet and Felix Kiboiywo, who placed 23rd and 28th, respectively. Rounding out the team’s scorers at the National Championships were a pair of juniors in Jean-Pierre Weerts, who came in 97th, and Scott Novack who placed 110th. Overall, the men captured team titles at the Powerade Invitational as well as the squad’s host meet, the annual Tiger Invitational. Second-place finishes at the SEC Championship as well as the NCAA South Regional, along with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships after entering the race ranked 12th nationally add to the squad’s outstanding 2008 accolades. The men’s trip to the NCAA Championships marked the squad’s first appearance at the meet in 23 years, with the last trip coming in 1985. The men qualified for the meet after Kiboiywo, Kibet and Mesecho took the top three spots at the NCAA South Regional meet, with Kiboiywo defending his Regional title from 2007 with a time of 30:45.91. All seven runners entered by the Tigers finished in the top-50 at the regional meet. On the women’s side, Holly Knight captured the first All-American honor of her cross country career after placing 11th at the NCAA Championships, and became the first Auburn woman in program history to win the NCAA South Regional title. She was the first Auburn female to qualify for the Champion-ship since Angela Homan in 2005. “Coming away with four All-Americans, we couldn’t have asked for anything more,” said then-Head Coach Peter Watson. “For the guys we felt like we finished where we should have. The NCAA Championships was a fantastic meet, and Holly hung right in there with the pack. She was impressive as a sophomore running in her first NCAA Champion-ships.” As a team, the Tigers earned four top-five finishes on the season, led by fifth-place finishes at both the SEC and South Regional Championships. Also playing a key role on the women’s side was junior Laurel Pritchard, who was Auburn’s No. 2 runner in three of the Tigers’ six races, and registered a quartet of top-35 finishes overall. Not far behind Pritchard was junior Sabrina Fischer and sophomore Amber Riley. Fischer earned a trio of top-35 finishes while Riley was Auburn’s No. 2 runner at the Pre-National Meet as well as the NCAA Southeast Regional Meet.

2009 Auburn Men’s Cross Country Roster Name Year Hometown (Previous School)Ben Cheruiyot Jr. Eldoret, Kenya (Rend Lake, C.C.)Mark Fleming Sr. Birmingham, Ala. (Oak Mountain)Elkanah Kibet Sr. Iten, Kenya (Rend Lake C.C.)Felix Kiboiywo Sr. Eldoret, Kenya (Kabernat)Charles Mitchell Jr. Somerdale, N.J. (Triton)Scott Novack Sr.* Hoover, Ala. (Hoover)Joby Peake Jr. Macon, Ga. (First Presbyterian Day)Jeff Sanders So. Mandeville, La. (Fountainebleau)Jean-Pierre Weerts Sr. Bastogne, Belgium (INDSE/Liege)

2009 Auburn Women’s Cross Country Roster Name Year Hometown (Previous School)Cathryn Albright Jr. Birmingham, Ala. (Briarwood Christian)Stephanie Barnes Grad. Clevedon, England (Gordano School)Holly Knight Jr. Devon, England (Ivybridge School)Grace Pritchard Fr. Vestavia Hills, Ala. (Vestavia Hills)Laurel Pritchard Sr. Vestavia Hills, Ala. (Vestavia Hills)Amber Riley Jr. Morgantown, W. Va. (University)Allison Smith Jr. Daphne, Ala. (Daphne)

*has redshirted

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Auburn Women

CATHRYN ALBRIGHTJuniorBirmingham, AlabamaBriarwood Christian

2008: Saw action in three races for the Tigers at the Tiger Invitational (6K), Pre-Nationals (6K) and SEC Championships (6K) … Ran career-best 6K time of 24:08.26 at the SEC Championship to finish 84th.

2007: Posted a 19:26.87 at the 5K Tiger Invitation-al... Finished 30th at two-mile UT-Chattanooga Invitational.

Personal: Born March, 25, 1989... Daughter of Dudley and Kathy Albright... Majoring in elemen-tary education...

GRACE PRITCHARDFreshmanVestavia Hills, Alabama Vestavia Hills

STEPHANIE BARNESGraduateClevedon, EnglandGordano School

HOLLY KNIGHTJuniorDevon, EnglandIvybridge School

2008: Captured first All-American honor on cross country course with an 11th-place finish at the NCAA Championships (6K)… Auburn’s first woman to win NCAA South Regional title, doing so with a 20:29.67 6K of South Regionals… Fin-ished as the SEC Championship individual runner-up, clocking a 20:18.52 (6K) to earn All-SEC First-Team honors … Clocked career-best 6K time of 20:13.40 at Pre-Nationals to place second … Was fourth at the Tiger Invitational ….Opened sophomore season by winning Powerade Invita-tional with a 10:56 two-mile run.

2007: Earned Second-Team All-SEC honors by placing 11th at 6K SEC Championships (21:18.75)... Unable to compete at NCAA South Regional due to injury... Finished first at the two-mile UT-Chattanooga Invitational (11:04)... Eighth at 5K Tiger Invitational... Placed 21st at 6K Chile Pepper Festival...

Personal: Born November, 25, 1988... Daughter of Michael and Maureen Knight... Majoring in psychology.

LAUREL PRITCHARDSeniorVestavia Hills, Alabama Vestavia Hills

2008: Recorded four top-35 finishes … Auburn’s No. 2 runner in three races … Came in 33rd at NCAA South Regional (6K)… Had best SEC showing of career, placing 20th at 6K league champion-ship … Placed third at season-opening Pow-erade Invitational, clocking an 11:47 two-mile run.

2007: Finished 35th at the 6K SEC Championship (21:59.07)... Placed 105th at the 6K NCAA South Regional Meet... Placed eighth at the 5K Bulldog Stampede (18:19.08)... Completed 5K Tiger Invita-tional in 17:49.39.

2006: Competed in Auburn’s last four races... Was the Tigers’ No. 2 runner at both the 6K SEC Championshops and the 6K NCAA South Region-al... Placed 21st at the 5K Auburn Invitational.

Personal: Born July 18, 1988... Parents are Michael and Carol Prtichard... Sister, Grace, is a freshman on this year’s team... Majoring in nutrition.

ALLISON SMITHJuniorDaphne, AlabamaDaphne

2008: Ran in all five races for the Tigers … Clocked career-best 6K time of 23:12.29 at SEC Championship, placing 65th … Opened sophomore season with a 13th-place finish at Powerade Invitational with a 12:23 two-mile run.

2007: Recorded 5K season-best of 19:20.60 at Tiger Invitational... Raced to a 30th-place finish at 5K Bulldog Stampede... Ran 6K SEC Champion-ship in 24:23.32 for an 81st place finish.

Personal: Born March 17, 1989... Daughter of Mark and Ruth Smith... Majoring in pre-nursing.

AMBER RILEYJuniorMorgantown, West VirginiaUniversity

2008: Had four top-40 finishes in sophomore campaign … Auburn’s No. 2 runner in two meets … Placed 28th at NCAA South Regional for career-best 6K time of 22:02.01 … Opened season with a sixth-place finish at Powerade Invitational (two miles).

2007: Finished 47th at 6K NCAA South Regional... Placed 45th at 6K SEC Championship... Finished 10th at the two-mile UT-Chattanooga Invitational (11:38) and 13th at the 5K Bulldog Stampede (18:35.69).

Personal: Born Jan. 6, 1989... Daughter of Rich-ard and Kimberly Riley... Majoring in nutrition.

Prior to Auburn: AAU National Champion... USATF All-American... Holds a 5K personal record of 18:51.

Personal: Born June 25, 1990... Daughter of Carol and Michael Pritchard... Sister, Laurel, is a senior on this season’s team... Majoring in hotel restaurant management.

Prior to Auburn: Earned a silver medal in Bucs University Championships in 2008... Holds a 5K career-best of 16:53.

Personal: Born July, 28, 1988... Daughter of David and Jacqueline Barnes... Majoring in health promotion.

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MARK FLEMINGJuniorBirmingham, AlabamaOak Mountain

2008: Competed in one race, placing 25th at 5K Powerade Invitational (16:45).

2007: Placed 68th overall at 8K SEC Championship (26:21.27)... Finished 87th at NCAA South Regional 10K 34:13.53.

2006: Placed seventh at the 5K Cougar Invitational (16:34.38)... Led the Tigers to a fourth-place finish at 8K Great American Cross Country Festival (28:29.60)...

Personal: Born Feb, 16, 1988... Son of James and Denise Fleming... Majoring in electrical and wireless engineering.

ELKANAH KIBETSeniorIten, KenyaRend Lake C.C.

2008: Earned All-American honors at 10K NCAA Cross Country Championships by placing 23rd (29:59.5) … Finished as 10K NCAA South Regional runner-up (30:47.08) behind teammate Felix Kiboiywo … Placed third at SEC Champion-ship, clocking a season-best 8K time of 23:20.35 to land a spot on the league’s first team … Began Auburn career by winning three races in a row: Powerade Invitational (5K), Roy Griak (8K) and the Tiger Invitational (8K) … Earned SEC Male Athlete of the Week honors following Powerade Invitational.

Personal: Born Feb. 6, 1986 ... Son of Thomas Kibet and Josphine Chemase ... Majoring in accouting and finance.

FELIX KIBOIYWOSeniorEldoret, KenyaKabernat

2008: Earned All-American honors at 10K NCAA Cross Coun-try Championships by placing 28th in a career-best time of 30:04.70 ... Won second-straight NCAA South Regional title, finishing the 10K course in 30:45.91 and was named NCAA South Regional Male Athlete of the Year... Placed fourth at SEC Championship (8K) to earn his second league first-team honor... Finished as runner-up at Pre-Nationals (8K) and Tiger Invitational (8K) behind teammate Elkanah Kibet... Opened season placing second at the Roy Griak Invitational and was named SEC Male Athlete of the Week for his performance.

2007: NCAA South Region Athlete of the Year ... Won 10K NCAA South Regional in 30:05.48... First Tiger to win a regional title... Finished 112th (31:12.3) at 10K NCAA Champion-ships ... Auburn’s top finisher at every meet ... Placed sixth at the 8K SEC Championship (24:14.68)... Took first at the 5K UT-Chattanooga Invitational.

Personal: Born April 17, 1987... Son of Josua Chepyego and Jane Talam... Majoring in laboratory technology.

SCOTT NOVACKSeniorHoover, AlabamaHoover

2008: Auburn’s fifth runner to cross the line at the 10K NCAA Cross Country Championships, coming in 139th in a time of 31:10.6...Had best showing of career at a SEC Championship, finishing the 8K course in 24:44.47 for 22nd place… Had top-25 finishes at Tiger Invitational (23:36.49, 8K, 18th) and Powerade Invitational (15:22, 5K, third).

2007: Finished 42nd at 8K SEC Championship (25:37.07)... Placed 50th at 10K NCAA South Regional (32:34.68).

2006: Auburn’s top finisher at 8K SEC Championship, placing 48th (26:07.85).

Personal: Born Aug. 11, 1986 ... Son of Tom and Judy Novack... Majoring in chemical engineering.

JOBY PEAKE JuniorMacon, GeorgiaFirst Presbyterian Day School

2008: Placed 233rd at NCAA Cross Country Championships to help the men’s team to a fifth-place finish… Had four top-50 finishes during sophomore campaign… Came in 49th at NCAA South Regional, clocking a 33:28.07 (10K) … Crossed the SEC Championship finish line with a season-best 8K time of 25:23.20 to finish 40th

2007:Finished 47th at 8K SEC Championship... Placed 53rd at 10K NCAA South Regional... Auburn’s No. 4 runner at the 10K Chile Pepper Festival and 5K UT-Chattanooga Invitational.

Personal: Born Oct. 14, 1988... Son of Allen and Betsy Peake... Majoring in applied mathematics.

JEFF SANDERSSophomoreMandeville, Louisiana.Fontainebleau

2008: Ran in three races during rookie season... Best finish came at the Powerade Invitational, with a 12th-place finish on the 5K course... Was 78th at the Tiger Invitational (8K).

Personal: Born Oct. 30, 1989 ... Son of Don and Teresa Sand-ers... Majoring in architecture.

JEAN-PIERRE WEERTSSeniorBastogone, BelgiumUniversity of Liege

2008:Auburn’s No. 4 runner at NCAA Cross Country Cham-pionships (10K), finishing 119th to help the Tigers to a fifth-place team finish (31:03.5)... Finished 38th at NCAA South Regional, turning in a time of 32:40.20... Was out of action until SEC Championships due to an injury and returned by finishing 39th (25:22.22) at the 8K league race.

Personal: Born June 20, 1986... Son of Armand Weerts and Jocelyne Stevens... Majoring in psychology.

Auburn MenCHARLES MITCHELLJuniorSomerdale, N.J.Triton

2008: Did not participate in any meets.

2007: Recorded an 8K season-best time of 26:44.72 at the Tiger Invitational... Placed 45th at the UT-Chattanooga Invitational.

Personal: Born Oct, 8, 1988... Son of Chuck and Ellen Mitch-ell... Majoring in entrepreneurship and family business.

BEN CHERUIYOTJuniorEldoret, KenyaRend Lake, C.C.

2008: Ran during outdoor track season... Won the 3,000-meters at the Coach O Invite with a time of 8:32.46. Placed 2nd at Florida St. in the 5,000-meters with a time of 14:44.80... Clocked a 14:19.36 to place 10th at the SEC Championsips.

Prior to Auburn: 2007 NJCAA cross country champion at Rend Lake C.C.Personal: Born May 10, 1987... Majoring in philosophy.